After Happily Ever After
by Shelly Lane
Summary: Years after the spell has ended, Belle/Adam's daughter narrates events that happen in the castle. Disney and Mme. Beaumont own everything.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

Maman often tells me stories, and I love them so much that I wanted to write one of my own. Papa says I can share it with the peasants so they'll know what life is like in the castle. However, Maman says that when we first meet someone, we should introduce ourselves and any friends who are with us, so I should probably do that first.

My name is Amandine. Beau is my brother. Sometimes he annoys me, but we're usually best friends.

Everyone knows our parents. Papa used to be an ugly monster until Maman fell in love with him. Then he got to be human again, and so did all the poor servants who got turned into furniture. Now Maman and Papa are the rulers of France.

As for the servants, Cogsworth is the head of household, which means he bosses everyone around, but nobody really listens, especially Lumière, who would rather smile at beautiful women than do his chores. Everybody listens to Mrs. Potts though. She has a son named Chip, but he doesn't really pay any attention to us.

Then there are the men who work to keep the royal forest safe. Their bosses are Loup and his sister, Louve. They'd never hurt anyone, but most of the servants still don't trust them since the forest workers used to be wolves. (In fact, Loup apparently wrote a book about what life was like as a wolf, but Louve said it was the worst thing she'd ever read, and if he was smart, he wouldn't let the royal family see it. As a result, I've never gotten to read the story.)

I think that's about everyone! I hope you enjoy hearing about life at our castle.

-Princess Amandine


	2. Wolves in the Garden

**Wolves in the Garden**

Butterflies flew around the flowers as Louve sat in the shade of a tree with a book from Maman's library. Loup hobbled over and sat beside her.

"Who gave you permission to visit the royal gardens?" he teased. "In fact, did the masters give you permission to borrow one of their books?"

Louve shrugged. "I do as I please. You see, dear brother, the Beast never threatened me. I was too smart to fight him. Therefore, I have no memories of his wrath and thus have no fear of doing whatever I wish."

"A bit insolent, aren't you?"

"No more so than you were years ago."

Loup sighed. "Do you ever wish you could open your eyes some morning and realize you were never a wolf; you were just having a horrible nightmare, and when you wake up, you won't have a broken leg that never healed properly after your fight with a Beast at least three times your size?"

His sister nodded thoughtfully. "You ever wish you could go back in time and stop yourself from making a wrong decision?" She stroked her permanently fractured arm. "Stopping yourself from getting too close to a horse's hooves, for example."

"But no matter how much we wish things were different, we can't change anything. Whether we care to admit it or not, we spent a decade of our lives as wolves, and two things are certain: Philippe cost you the use of your arm forever, and King Adam saw to it that I will never again walk properly, and it's our own fault. No matter how sorry we are for past mistakes, there are some we just can't overcome."

He stood and walked around the garden a little to clear his mind, pausing by the rosebushes. Louve walked over to where he was standing.

"Cheer up! I overheard the masters say Lisette is coming to visit!"

"Lisette?!" Loup accidentally tripped over the root of a tree, immediately falling.

"Your limp seems worse than usual," his sister remarked. "Something troubles you, and I don't mean the confrontation with your own masters before the spell ended. There's something else bothering you." She took his hand. "You can tell me. I'm your twin. I knew you before your birth."

"Until now, _ma soeur_, you have been the only woman of any importance in my life, with the exception of our mother, and of course, Queen Belle."

"What does this have to do with Lisette?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen! I thought she was only my best friend! I never meant to feel this way about her!"

"Loup, what's wrong?"

He took a deep breath. "_Je suis amoureux._"

"In love, _mon frère_?"

He nodded. "It will never work out between us! I was born to the town beggars; she was born to nobility, the royal family, no less. I'm a servant; she's my own master's cousin. Besides, I was one of the wolves. Her cousin was the Beast. I'm sure King Adam would _really_ be happy to know how I feel about Lisette."

Louve made no reply, so her brother continued speaking.

"She deserves a better man than I could ever hope to become! I'm unworthy even to be called her friend, let alone her love. I never chose for this to happen!"

"I wish things could have been different for you. Lisette's heart is as warm as the summer sun and as pure as a mountain stream. I would have liked very much to have her for a sister-in-law."

"No use regretting what cannot be," Loup remarked. "We may as well return to the forest and resume our chores."

"I'll join you there as soon as I return this book."

Her brother nodded and limped back to the forest.

Watching him leave, Louve remarked to no one in particular, "I'd give the use of my other arm if only it meant his leg would heal."


	3. Riding Lessons

**Riding Lessons**

"Where have you been?!" my brother demanded when he finally found me.

"On the balcony," I answered. "I was listening to the servants talk in the garden."

"Was it interesting?" he asked.

"Beau," I began, "do you think Loup still needs to be punished for what he did to Maman and Papa years ago?"

"Was he talking about that again?!" Beau rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry they're still injured, but the servants who work in the forest need to get over it!"

"They're not all still injured," I pointed out. "Only two of them are." After a pause, I added, "Could you get over it?"

"We wouldn't have to worry about something like that, Amandine. If you or I were to have some kind of problem, Maman and Papa would have the royal physicians tend us, and we'd be fine. I feel sorry for the servants too, but there's nothing anyone can do about it. Besides, what was Maman supposed to do, bring all the wolves back to the castle and have Papa reset their limbs after he got his arm bandaged?"

I started laughing at the idea of the Beast taking care of the wolves.

One of the stablemen approached us and bowed. "Good afternoon, children. Your parents are waiting by the royal stable. They commanded me to summon you for a riding lesson."

We walked to the stable as slowly as possible.

Maman smiled. "Philippe's waiting for you."

_"J'ai peur!"_ Beau confessed. "The horse is huge!"

Papa tousled his hair. "No reason to be afraid, _mon fils_. I won't let you fall."

"Besides, Philippe is a gentle horse," Maman added.

"Ladies first." Papa lifted me onto Philippe's back.

I'd never realized how strong Papa's arms were. I'd never seen him harm anyone or break anything, but I could feel the strength in his hands when he set me on the horse. Were these really the paws of the Beast who had destroyed nearly every piece of furniture in his own castle and broken the bones of wolves?

"I'm going to hold onto the reins," Papa was saying, "and I'll walk right beside the horse."

"_Oui, Papa._"

After we had walked around the castle grounds, Maman lifted me off Philippe, and it was my brother's turn to ride.

"See? It's not as bad as you imagined." Maman kissed the top of my head. "You two will be riding horses on your own before you know it!"


	4. Our Guest Arrives

******Our Guest Arrives**

Papa's cousin, Lisette, arrived at the castle late that afternoon.

"I didn't think you'd be here until this evening," Papa began, "or I would've…"

"None of your excuses, Adam!" she interrupted. "Besides, I've already been received properly. This servant of yours found me just as I was entering your forest, and he has properly escorted me all the way to the castle." She smiled at Loup, who was still holding her arm.

Papa nodded. "If you need anything, our servants will attend you."

His cousin smiled. "Thank you, Adam. That's very thoughtful."

"We should make sure everything's ready for our visitor." Papa took Maman's hand as they left the room.

Lisette turned to Loup. "Servant!"

"Yes, my lady?"

"I suddenly feel a bit chilly. Bring me a quilt at once."

"At your service." He limped as fast as he could to find one for her.

"Do you expect me to do everything myself, servant?" she demanded when he brought the quilt. "Wrap it around me!"

"At once, my lady."

Lisette held out her arms, placing them around Loup's neck as he followed her order. "It's been a while since I've been at the castle. Did you miss me?"

"More than you know. You are my closest friend, after all."

That was when I understood. The "servant" and "my lady" thing had just been to keep up appearances. In fact, I was starting to think the only reason she'd wanted a quilt was so Loup would hug her. That would also explain why he had wrapped her in the quilt as slowly as possible.

"Are you still cold?" Loup took off his coat.

"Won't you need this for working in the forest?"

"I have more. Besides, it's not that cold outside."

Neither comment was true, but I didn't think it was any of my business, so I didn't comment.

Lisette put on the coat. "It's so warm!"

"Wolf skin," Loup remarked. "It's never caught on as a fashion, but wolf fur is waterproof and is, as you said, very warm."

She laughed softly. "It's so strange wearing your coat! When I touch the sleeves of it to my shoulders, it's like you're embracing me!"

They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, but then they realized that Beau and I were watching them.

Lisette cleared her throat. "You have my permission to return to your duties, servant."

Loup bowed as gracefully as he could without falling over. "At once, my lady, and should you need anything else, do let me know." He took her hand and kissed it, as is common for servants to do when greeting or taking leave of their masters.

"You missed," she whispered, touching the back of her hand to her lips. "Perhaps you'll do better in the future?"

"If it pleases you, my lady."

He left the room, and Lisette sat down by the fireplace, stroking the sleeves of Loup's coat.

I seized the opportunity to climb in her lap. "You're kind of best friends with Loup, aren't you?"

"___Oui_. We've been friends for a while now."

"What did you mean when you told Loup he missed?" She looked confused, so I clarified, "You know, after he kissed your hand, and then you touched your mouth."

Lisette's face turned red, and she changed the subject. "Why don't you show me your mother's library, Amandine?"


	5. A Bad Guy Visits

**A Bad Guy Visits**

After Lisette read us a story, Beau and I went to the kitchen to see what the servants there were doing.

"It's hot in here!" I commented.

"That's because you're near the stove." The chef handed me a bowl. "While you're here, you may as well help."

I began stirring the mixture.

The chef turned to another servant. "Where are the vegetables?!"

"In the broth, as requested."

When we had finished helping the servants in the kitchen, my brother and I decided to find out what everyone else was doing. We found Maestro Fife in the ballroom.

Beau frowned in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

The court composer smiled. "What better place than a ballroom to get inspiration for melodies? Besides, it's quieter in here."

"Did you know that Papa's cousin is here for a visit?"

He nodded, but before he could say anything else, Angelique stepped into the ballroom.

"I'm sorry, Maestro," she began. "I didn't know you were busy in here."

"Not a problem," Fife answered. "If you need the ballroom, I can go somewhere else to…"

"Don't let me interrupt your composing. I just need to place a few decorations. The masters insist on having a grand ball at the end of the week." She frowned. "Well, not 'grand' exactly. This will just be something all servants must attend. It's not as if they're inviting dignitaries or anything."

"What's so special about the end of the week?" I asked.

"It's a holiday," Maestro Fife explained. "It's the anniversary of the day we all became human again."

"They say that the love between the masters is so strong that on this day every year, there is still a sort of magic in the castle," added Angelique. "Legend has it that something truly extraordinary would happen if two lovers shared their first kiss on the anniversary of the day the spell was broken, just as your parents' first kiss set us all free."

Beau winced when he heard the part about romance, but I found it fascinating. I made up my mind that I was going to try to find two servants who were in love and see what happened if their very first kiss was on that day.

Before we could visit any of the other servants and see what chores they were doing, someone arrived at the castle. La Plume answered the door.

"_Bonsoir_," an unfamiliar voice began. "May I speak with Her Majesty, Queen Belle?"

"For what reason?" queried La Plume.

"I…" The visitor cleared his throat. "I wasn't always a nice man. I need to apologize. I knew her when she was a peasant, and I was very rude to her. Now I realize that was wrong of me, and I'm sorry."

"La Plume, who is it?" Cogsworth inquired, coming to the door.

"He didn't tell me his name."

"Lefou," the guest responded.

The servants were shocked when he introduced himself, so I guessed that Maman had told them a little about him.

Webster put his hands on my shoulders. "Princess Amandine, do you remember your mother's anecdotes about that horrid Gaston fellow and the vexing imbecile who idolized him? Our guest is the same man mentioned in your mother's tales."

"Monsieur Lefou," I began, "if you're a bad man, why did you walk to our castle?"

"I'm not a bad man anymore," he replied. "Ever since Gaston passed away a few years ago, I've been rethinking my life. It's kind of hard for someone like me to think since I'm not the world's most philosophical guy, but I'm trying to be a good person now."

"Do you miss Gaston?" Beau asked.

"I feel sorry for him, as I do when anyone's life comes to an end, but I think 'miss' might be too strong of a word," answered Lefou. "Besides, no one dies like Gaston."

He shouldn't have said that. The servants immediately began singing:

_No one tries like Gaston _

_To tell lies like Gaston_

_No one falls off a castle and dies like Gaston_

_Is his demise sad? No! How exhilarating! _

_I say goodbye to Gaston!_

Lefou laughed. "You're just as bad as I am! Well, as I used to be! I mean…"

"How did you get past the men who work in our masters' forest?" Lumière inquired.

"It was hard! They made sure I wasn't carrying any weapons, and they asked me all sorts of questions!"

"Sounds about right," Lumière muttered under his breath.

"I need to apologize to all of you as well," Lefou stated. "I'm sorry I joined the siege to the castle. I shouldn't have attacked your home."

After a brief discussion among themselves, the servants decided to forgive him. Perhaps it goes without saying that Maman and Papa also gave him their forgiveness.

"What a strange day!" Beau remarked after Lefou had left. "I never thought we'd meet someone from the town where Maman used to live!"

I grabbed a book and held it in front of me. "This is my favorite! Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him until the third chapter!" I sighed. "Every morning's been the same since we first arrived in this town!"

My brother deepened his voice and tried to sound gruff. "You like my library? It's yours!"

"Thank you so much!" I smiled.

Trying not to laugh, I stepped into the nearest room and closed the door, which Beau began to pound.

"Come to dinner!" he demanded.

"_Non_!" I argued.

"_S'il vous plait_?"

"_Non_!"

"I said 'please'! What more do you want?!"

Hearing laughter, I opened the door. The servants, who had been watching us, had red faces, and they were gasping for breath.

"Exactly like your parents on the night they first met!" Babette wiped away tears of laughter.


	6. Babette Speaks Her Mind

**Babette Speaks Her Mind**

"Bedtime." Papa picked me up and carried me to my room.

Maman tucked me in. "What story would you like to hear tonight?"

"One about you and Papa!" I answered.

She thought a moment. "Did I ever tell you about the time your father exiled three servants for forgery?"

Papa looked embarrassed. "What makes you think Amandine wants to hear that story, Belle?"

"To err is human," Maman replied gently.

He laughed. "The spell must have been over sooner than I thought. I erred quite a few times. I learned a lot of lessons, but one stands out above all others."

"And what is that?"

"Never upset a woman if you value your life. Think of it. I angered the enchantress, and I got turned into a monster. None of my arguments with you ever led to any good, even after the spell was broken. Upset women have got to be the most dangerous creatures in France."

"That's everywhere," Maman remarked.

After the story, my parents kissed me good night.

Beau and I take turns. One night, the servants will put me to bed while our parents tuck my brother in. The next night is his turn with our parents and my turn with the servants.

During breakfast the next morning, Papa announced that he and Maman were leaving the country for a while. They had to have a conference with the German king so they could discuss how their alliance could benefit both kingdoms. Beau and I were a little sad that they would be going, but we understood.

As soon as our parents had left, Babette exclaimed, "The masters are no longer here, so I will speak my mind freely! Listen carefully!"

Every servant in the room turned to see what she had to say.

"Not you," she clarified. "I just need to talk to Lumière. For once, he's going to hear me out."

Lumière smiled in his most charming way. "_Oui, ma chérie_?"

"I am tired of our extended engagement! I leave you with a choice! Love me now or leave me forever!"

"Babette, how could you think I do not love you?"

"I know you love me, but you also love every other beautiful, unmarried woman in the castle! You are nothing more than a philanderer! I'm not getting any younger! I want a man who will love only me and help me raise children! I need to grow old with someone, not grow old waiting for someone!"

"_Mon amour_, surely you realize…"

"Make your choice!" Babette interrupted. "As of now, we are no longer _engaged_. By the end of the week, you will be either _married_ or _single_."

Having said what was on her mind, Babette resumed dusting.

"You ought to marry her," Cogsworth advised. "She's a fine woman, and marriage really isn't as awful as it sounds."

"He's right," agreed Maestro Fife. "It's worse."

Lumière looked terrified.

"Fife wouldn't know!" Cogsworth stated. "He's still single. He's only trying to annoy you."

"I don't think a little commitment would kill you, Lumière," La Plume commented. "You've had plenty of time to flirt with gorgeous ladies. Now you need to devote your life to the happiness of the one who truly loves you, or her heart will be broken."

"If her heart is broken, so shall your neck be," Webster added. "Women tend to see to such matters."

"I am in no hurry to be wed!" Lumière answered.

"Neither were the masters, but you see how happy they are together," Mrs. Potts responded.

"If it's as you say and she is the only woman who matters in your life," one of the stablemen began, "then you won't even want anyone else."

"Your days as a philanderer are already over," Lisette put in. "If you break her heart, no woman will give you so much as the time of day. Since your days as a flirt have officially come to an end regardless what decision you make, you may as well be married; otherwise, you will lose her forever and perhaps never again have the chance to earn a woman's love."

Lumière nodded. "You have a point. I will marry Babette and be the kind of husband she deserves."


	7. Brave Explorers in the Forest

**Brave Explorers in the Forest**

When it was time for lunch and everyone was gathering at the table, Lisette took the chair where Papa usually sits.

"As Adam and Belle aren't here, I am your master now," she teased.

"Are you wearing wolf fur, master?" La Plume queried.

Lisette's face turned red when she realized she was still wearing Loup's coat. Everyone stared at Loup.

"It's early spring," he remarked nonchalantly. "I didn't need my coat, but she was feeling cold."

Angelique changed the subject. "I believe Lumière has an announcement."

Lumière sighed. "Babette, I have decided I will marry you."

"And never again flirt with or try to kiss any other woman?" asked Babette.

"Never again," he answered.

She smiled. "Oh, Lumière! You do love me!"

Babette ran to Lumière's place at the table, threw her arms around him, and kissed him. He still looked afraid of getting married, but at the same time, he looked kind of happy.

"Maybe one of your future children will marry one of Cogsworth's!" joked Maestro Fife.

Knowing how much Lumière and Cogsworth bicker, the other servants started laughing.

"Impossible!" Cogsworth replied. "I have no children."

"We will soon," his wife remarked.

Cogsworth's face turned a bit pale. "Is this a joke?"

She frowned. "Of course not! Why would I joke about something like that? I thought you'd be happy!"

"I do wish the masters were present," stated Webster. "They should be most pleased to learn that they will have a new servant and that Lumière and Babette have finally decided to be wed."

"It's enough to make anyone want to move somewhere else," La Plume commented. "The castle has been nothing but maudlin ever since yesterday!"

"Cheer up!" Angelique told him. "The masters aren't here! We can 'accidentally' forget to do our chores and sneak into the West Wing!"

"If Lisette weren't here," he responded. "I'm sure she'd tell her cousin!"

"We should still do something besides our work," Maestro Fife stated.

"Why don't we pretend we're brave explorers and spend the evening in the forest?" suggested Lumière. "It will give us a feeling of adventure!"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Louve answered cryptically, nonchalantly helping herself to another slice of bread.

"You have no right to stop us," he argued. "It is the masters' forest, not yours."

She shrugged. "What you say is true. You are free to do as you please, but don't say you weren't warned."

"Why would you want to stay in the woods anyway?" one of the groundskeepers inquired. "The castle is far more comfortable."

Almost everyone else agreed, but at sunset, a small group of servants, determined to have an adventure, left the castle for the forest, promising to return with exciting tales the next day.

Long after the other servants had fallen asleep that night, Louve sat in Papa's favorite chair by the fireplace, practicing embroidery. Her brother and their friends gathered around her.

"Take the chair, Loup," she offered. "You need it worse than I do."

"A gentleman never takes a lady's chair," Loup replied graciously.

"Don't give me that nonsense!" Louve stood. "If I want the same rights as men, I don't need bossed around by etiquette and chivalry."

Loup sat down. "You're one of the few women who considers herself equal to men."

"Equal?" Louve scoffed. "I am not equal to men! I am superior!"

The other forest workers laughed.

"I'm glad you're that way," one remarked. "Society is full of women who think that their place is to be submissive to men. It's nice to know someone different."

Hearing the torrent of rain that suddenly began to pelt the castle windows, the forest workers grinned.

"You were right," Loup remarked.

"Good night for stealing livestock," Louve commented. "The wolfhounds don't really want to be outside in this weather, and the farmer will hear nothing but the sound of the rain and the rumbles of thunder. Winter nights, on the other hand, are about the worst conditions possible. The light of the full moon against the glistening snow makes it almost as bright as day, and no matter how careful you are, you can't help but leave tracks."

Loup held out the cup of tea he was drinking. "Here's to not having to worry about you getting yourself shot. You have no idea how many nights of insomnia your little robberies caused me during the spell."

His sister lightly tapped his teacup with hers. "Here's to our friends having three full meals a day without me having to steal. Above all, here's to the spell being broken."

Fifteen minutes later, the servants who had decided to sleep in the forest returned to the castle. Perhaps it goes without saying that all of them were soaked.

"Good evening, brave explorers," Louve greeted. "How was your thrilling adventure?"

They glared at her.

"I warned you," she stated nonchalantly.

Hearing the noise of their conversation, Mrs. Potts came into the room to see what was happening.

"I'm sorry if we woke you," Loup apologized. "We just wanted to make sure the band of explorers made it safely back to the castle instead of getting lost in the woods."

Noticing me, Mrs. Potts put a hand on my shoulder. "What are you doing up, dear? It's past your bedtime."

"I had a bad dream," I began, "so I was going to Maman's room, but then I remembered that Maman and Papa aren't here. I was on my way back to bed when I noticed other people were still awake, and I was curious to know what they were talking about."

Mrs. Potts carried me back to bed, but I fell asleep on her shoulder before we got to my room.


	8. A Legend Becomes Reality

**A Legend Becomes Reality**

"It isn't right that the masters aren't here," the chef remarked as he prepared the feast a few days later. "After all, this is the most special of all holidays."

"Is this the anniversary of the day the spell ended?" Beau asked.

"_Oui, mon prince_." He sighed. "I don't know why the wedding couldn't have waited until after they returned, but Babette insists that it had to be today." He smiled. "I cannot believe Lumière will finally be married!"

Lumière looked nervous, but everyone else was excited. Babette had never looked happier.

After the wedding, the servants danced. There were two reasons. One was to commemorate the day they all became human again, and the other was to celebrate the marriage. Lisette watched as everyone else twirled around the ballroom.

"Why don't you join, my lady?" asked Loup. "It would be a fine way to honor your cousin and the day his wife broke the spell."

"I have no one to dance with, servant," she replied.

He bowed. "Would you condescend to dance with me?"

Lisette curtsied. "I'd be delight."

Although he'd had a limp for years, Loup was surprisingly graceful as he danced.

"Adam and Belle have a fine home," Lisette remarked. "I'd much rather live here than in my own castle."

"You would be welcome by all."

"You seem quiet tonight, servant. Have you no news for me?"

"My lady, I have a confession to make."

She smiled at him. "Tell me, Loup."

"First of all, I want to say that I am content to remain your friend, and I would never do anything to destroy our friendship, but I must say this." He took a deep breath. "_Je t'aime…plus que ma vie._"

"You love me more than your life?" Lisette asked. "Then we can no longer be friends."

"I understand."

"_Moi je t'aime aussi_."

Loup seemed startled but very happy to hear that she returned his love.

"Your cousin is going to kill us," he remarked.

"Adam can shut his mouth!" answered Lisette. "If he can marry a peasant, I can marry a servant!"

"True enough." He hesitated before asking, "Could I…?"

She smiled and nodded, and they kissed…on the lips!

A sharp gasp from Louve brought the other forest workers running to see what was wrong with her.

"My arm!" she whispered. "It's not fractured anymore!" She bent her elbow and flexed her wrist. "I've got the use of both arms again!"

As the song ended, Loup's eyes widened. "Lisette, I'm not limping!"

Louve started walking toward her brother, who ran to embrace her.

"What happened?" Louve queried.

"I have no idea," confessed Loup. "All I did was kiss her."

"The legend! The legend says that if two lovers share their first kiss on the anniversary of the day the masters had theirs, extraordinary events occur because on this day every year, there's still a bit of magic in the castle!"

Loup said nothing.

"Now we have everything we could want! We have the finest job in France, taking care of Europe's most beautiful forest. We live surrounded by luxury and have kind masters who actually care about their servants. We're not wolves, nor are we injured, and now I'm to have a sister-in-law in due time, perhaps nieces and nephews eventually!"

"Who would've thought this could happen to the town beggars' children?"

Louve lightly slapped him. "Why are you hugging me, you idiot? The love of your life is waiting! Don't waste your time talking to your sister!"

The castle door opened, and Maman and Papa stepped inside, but no one knew they were home until they came into the ballroom.

"Masters!" Loup ran to them, kneeling without assistance for the first time in years.

Papa smiled. "It's good to see you walking properly, dear friend!"

"Isn't it?" Louve folded one arm behind her back and the other in front of her as she bowed.

"You too?" Papa hugged them both at the same time. "This is wonderful!"

"Lumière got married," Beau announced, "and Cogsworth's wife says you're going to have another servant."

Papa looked confused.

"Don't worry. We'll sort it all out tomorrow," Maman assured him. "For now, the best thing we can do is join the celebration."

Taking her arm, Papa led her onto the dance floor. The servants stepped aside as their masters began dancing together, and everyone lived happily ever after…until Papa found out the next day that some of the servants had been in the West Wing while he and Maman were gone, but that's a different story.


End file.
